Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Nov 2021

Vol. 280 No. 10

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

An Cathaoirleach

Members will be aware that Professor George Eogan, who was a Member of this House from 1987 to 1989, passed away on Thursday, 18 November. Professor Eogan was widely regarded as one of the leading archaeologists of his generation. He is perhaps best known for his work in Knowth. He was born Nobber, County Meath, and was always proud of his Meath origins, and a proud GAA fan. Meath was proud of him, and in 2016 the George Eogan Cultural and Heritage Centre was opened in the county, named in his honour.

He had a long and distinguished academic career and was a notable scholar of Bronze Age Europe. It would be difficult to list the numerous honours he received or the books and journals in which he was published. He will also be remembered as a teacher and a mentor. His leadership and commitment to Irish archaeology was recognised by his appointment to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach in 1987. A quick perusal of Seanad debates during his time shows his contributions in areas such as education and national heritage, and also in topics as diverse as planning, agriculture, human rights and Northern Ireland.

At this sad time, my thoughts are with his family. On behalf of the House, I wish to convey my sincere sympathies to his wife, Fiona, and his children, James, Maeve, Deirdre and Clíona, and to his extended family and friends on their said loss. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Senator Regina Doherty

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the draft Planning and Development (LRD Fees) Regulations 2021 and its referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding the Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021, referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, Private Members' business, Horticultural Peat (Temporary Measures) Bill 2021 - Second Stage, to be taken at 2.45 p.m., and not withstanding anything in standing orders, the proceedings thereon shall adjourn after 90 minutes; No. 4, statements on the National Development Plan 2021-2030, to be taken at 5 p.m., and to conclude no later than 6.30 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not exceed seven minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 5, statements on the mother and baby homes redress scheme, to be taken at 7.30 p.m., and to conclude no later than 9 p.m., with the time allocated to opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, all Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

The format for expressions of sympathy is SO 142(1). Before the Order of Business, the Cathaoirleach will announce the death of former Senator Eogan.

When the Cathaoirleach calls the Leader, the Leader shall indicate that she will move a motion for expressions of sympathy by the House at the end of our Order of Business, which I will do. When the Order of Business has been agreed, the Cathaoirleach will call on me, the Leader, and I shall move the motion to that effect.

An Cathaoirleach

We will then stand for a minute's silence, if the motion is agreed.

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin

The Fianna Fáil Party would like to be associated with the sympathies and regrets about the esteemed former Senator. We accept the Order of Business as outlined.

This is disability week. It is important that we recognise and acknowledge that. One way we can do that is by wearing purple. My own county, Kildare, has a number of events this week. Significant buildings around the county are being lit up and 250 disability network flags are being flown. It is also putting much emphasis on the Just a Minute card, or JAM card, so that if people are suffering in some way when trying to make themselves understood, being able to show this allows the person who is receiving the card to have a little extra patience and understanding. It is important.

I commend Limerick City Council. I heard on the radio this morning that it has launched an application for those who have wheelchair accessible vehicles. We all know how difficult it is when driving around cities and towns, trying to find a parking space. Imagine trying to find a space that is wheelchair accessible. It is really difficult. It is a wonderful initiative. I express the hope that other councils can take this up. People can download this application and immediately know where there is an available parking space for those who have a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Yesterday, I took part in a walkability survey in Rathangan. It was associated with disability week. It was done with transition year students. We walked around our town and looked at spaces that are barely accessible for those who are able-bodied. We all acknowledge the importance of walking or cycling to school, but we have to make sure that those routes are safe, both for those with disabilities and those who are fully abled. I commend the transition year students and their teachers on the project that they have undertaken. We will present that to Kildare County Council along with local councillor, Anne Connolly.

I want to mention two other areas. It was with dismay that I read an article in The Sunday Times about an Irishman and his British husband who live in England. They have two children. They received a parental order under British law, which is recognised in Ireland, but the Department of Foreign Affairs refuses to grant their son, who was born through surrogacy, an Irish passport. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 states that a person is an Irish citizen from birth if, at the time of his or her birth, either parent is an Irish citizen. Their marriage is recognised by our law and the parental order, but while this married couple and their two children are part of a constitutional family, recognised by Irish law, and they absolutely should have a right to pass citizenship onto their children, this has not been agreed to. In this day and age, it is a disgrace and we need to call it out.

The Connecting Ireland initiative is important for our rural areas. There is a new plan for a connection from Athy to Rathangan. It is important that we extend that to Allenwood. The blueway goes through Allenwood and Rathangan, and through Lullymore heritage park, which we are proud of. Many people from Rathangan work there. Some work in community employment schemes. If they do not drive, they have to get taxis. The Connecting Ireland initiative needs to be extended.

Senator Maria Byrne

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising the fact that it is disability week. ParkMagic, along with the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland, launched its app this morning and Limerick City and County Council is the first local authority to avail of it. A number of service users have used the app and they stated that when they come into town they have to plan their journey because sometimes when they get to the disabled parking space there is a car in it. It is a message to all to make sure not to park in a disabled parking space. A little chip has been now put into the parking spaces and it is updated in real time on the app. I pay tribute to ParkMagic because it is a Limerick company that has worked with the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland on this. It is something the Department should look at rolling out right across the country. One disabled driver said that sometimes they have had to return home because there is a limited number of disabled parking spaces. The Leader might support a letter to the Minister for Transport looking for that to be rolled out across all local authority areas.

A young neighbour of mine, Clodagh Bennett, is an 18-year-old student in St. Pat's in Thurles. She is training to be a teacher but she also recently became Munster Young Carer of the Year. She helps with the care of her three siblings, who all have issues of their own. One or two of them have mental health issues and all are on the spectrum. What that young girl does for her three siblings is to be commended. We hear of so many people who are helping their family members by being carers. It is a great achievement. She is going to college at the same time as helping out with her family so there is great credit due to her. I compliment her and congratulate her for being named as Munster Young Carer of the Year.

Senator Victor Boyhan

What a momentous day it is for Barbados. We are a republic ourselves and proud of our own tradition as a republic. This morning at 4 a.m. our time, the world's newest republic was avowed. What a wonderful achievement for that small country. It comes 55 years to the day since Barbados gained full independence. Today, I wish its people, its Government and the newly-elected and sworn-in President every success. I know everyone will join with me in that.

Senator Paul Gavan

Well said.

Senator Victor Boyhan

Res publica means a government whose power is held by its people and their elected representatives. What a great tradition and achievement. It is a new start and a restart for the people of Barbados and I wish them well.

I raise the issue of Galway County Council's funding crisis. A decision to postpone the budget in Galway was made yesterday. There is a serious crisis as regards local government and the Leader will be aware that this is an issue right across the country. Senators Kyne, Crowe and others have continuously raised this issue and the need for a debate on local government in this House. All municipal districts in Galway County Council rejected their proposed funding allocations for 2022. In an effort to demonstrate their commitment and reject what has been proposed, the councillors are clearly seeking to send a clear message to the Government that they are unhappy. There is a general view that the funding for Galway County Council is far short of what is required and they are not getting the same cut of the deal as others. Cynics would suggest this is part of a bigger plan in the Custom House to force a merger of the two councils. I am not necessarily saying that is the case but that is one view down in the council so there is an issue there.

I thank the Leader for bringing forward the debate this afternoon on horticultural peat. We will have an opportunity to discuss the matter.

It is welcome. There have been debates and questions in both Houses of the Oireachtas on this issue. The discussion today will be a real opportunity for us to share our real concerns in respect of the horticultural sector. I thank the Leader for her leadership on that issue.

I join with the Cathaoirleach and others in terms of their words in respect of former Senator George Eogan. Professor Eogan was a remarkable man. He only spent two years in the Seanad. His nomination, by C.J. Haughey, was a wise one. He was an Independent Senator and it was a good use of an independent nomination. I extend my sympathy to his family.

An Cathaoirleach

I join with the Senator in congratulating the Republic of Barbados on its newfound path and the country's new President, Sandra Mason, on her new role. In her address, President Mason spoke about the country weathering all storms and reaching new horizons. As one of the older republics, we wish Barbados all the best as the newest republic on the planet.

Senator Paul Gavan

I will begin by quoting one of my favourite singers, who passed away in Kilkenny a few years ago. His name is John Martyn, a great Scottish folk singer. Approximately 50 years ago, he famously wrote:

Some of us live like princes

Some of us live like queens

Most of us live just like me

And we don’t know what it means

To take our place in one world

His words come to mind because, as colleagues will know, there is a protest taking place outside Leinster House as we speak. I will join it after I have spoken. I will return for the Leader's response. The protest relates to the Government's continued failure to endorse a waiver for the intellectual property rights in respect of Covid vaccines. I want to say this in a way that is not argumentative, but I am completely at a loss as to why the Government continues to side with the rest of the EU in actively blocking a waiver in respect of these vaccines. With the advent of the latest variant, we know just how crucial it is that the whole world gets vaccinated. We know that no one is safe until everyone is safe, yet the fact is the Government, at least at Cabinet level, is consistently backing up the EU position of blocking a waiver of intellectual property rights.

Two things happen when I raise this issue. The first is that most people on the Government benches agree with me and state that something should be done. The second is that they point out the good work the Government is doing in the context of COVAX and so on, and that is important. However, let us be clear that for as long as the Government sides with big pharma against the people of the world, there is something fundamentally wrong. It lacks a moral compass. There is no justifiable argument for not waiving those intellectual property rights.

Let us bear in mind that just 2% of people in Africa are vaccinated. While we are getting our boosters - I am fortunate enough to be getting mine on Friday - I cannot help thinking there is something fundamentally wrong. At times, all Senators gather together to agree on key subjects, such as on Covid to some degree, for example, but particularly on this issue. I am minded to table a motion in the House to get all-party support because there is no way any of us, regardless of political party, should tolerate the Taoiseach and Tánaiste continuing to side against the people of the world. The World Trade Organization is holding talks on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, TRIPS, this week. Unfortunately, unless something fundamental changes, the Taoiseach and the Government are once again going to side with big pharma to ensure its profits get bigger while people are denied vaccines. Surely to God, all of us should do something now to make sure that does not happen.

Senator Rebecca Moynihan

I thank the Leader for outlining the Order of Business. Members will have to excuse me as I am recovering from a cold - not Covid - and my voice is not great today. I raise the issue of the loophole in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021 that allows landlords who have not previously increased rent to compound it over recent years. We are living in a time when the livelihoods of many people have been impacted by job losses, the stop-starting of hospitality and the Covid pandemic. Could the Leader imagine the uproar if mortgages were increased by this amount? There have already been rental increases in every county, with an increase of more than 7% nationwide. However, some counties have been particularly affected. There have been rises of 17.3% in Limerick, 15.5% in Kilkenny, 16.1% in Clare and 11.8% in Mayo.

We need to ensure that if we bring in rental limitations, for example, linked to the consumer price index, or 2%, that is exactly what it is and that it is not allowed to be increased beyond that or compounded.

I want to raise the issue of the TRIPS waiver. We all sat around in this House and congratulated Ireland on getting a seat on the UN Security Council. I often wonder why we have influence in the EU and a seat on the UN Security Council if do not to use our influence, as a small country, to advocate for things like the TRIPS waiver, which would be very similar to what we did, as a country, for the HIV epidemic. As Senator Davitt outlined, this is the week for us to do so. This is the week to put pressure on our EU partners for a TRIPS waiver because, as we have seen with the variants, we are not safe until everybody is safe. It is up to us to make sure that people in the global south are as protected as we are as we await the roll out of the booster programme.

I wish to raise the issue of safe access zones, which I raised with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, in this House. I would like him to confirm that people who travel for abortions and terminations are exempt under the Covid legislation. He would not confirm that in this House even though it is clear in the legislation. Senator Gavan offered to give him the time to confirm that. However, the Cabinet has just agreed that people will get commercial antigen tests, whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated, when they come into Ireland. An abortion is an essential medical procedure. Most people travel after 12 weeks, so it is going to be a surgical abortion for people. People will be in a facility from early in the morning until the afternoon and you do not want people running around London, Manchester or Liverpool seeking commercial tests and adding to their expense. The Minister for Health needs to come in here and confirm the exemption. He has refused to do so for the whole of the pandemic. I clearly asked him to do so in this House and Senator Gavan offered to give him time. There are new rules being introduced for travel, so the Minister for Health needs to confirm that this is exempt under the legislation.

Senator Paul Gavan

Well said.

Senator Shane Cassells

This morning we saw the publication of Facebook Ireland's revenue for 2020 and it has now reached a record €40 billion per annum. Huge congratulations are due to it and its employees. It employs nearly 2,500 people in Ireland and salaries and pension costs account for some €377 million. That is a huge and welcome investment in this country. The average wage for an employee in the company is €168,000, so it is a huge asset to the country. What it also highlights is that social media giants like Facebook dwarf the traditional media in this country and, indeed, the revenue traditional media would have had as well.

My point is that the traditional media is bound by exceptionally stringent rules in terms of libel, the Press Council of Ireland and what they can or cannot publish. That is not the same for these companies that now make billions of euro in our country. Those of us who are members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media have completed pre-legislative scrutiny of the online safety and media regulation Bill. Last month, we published our recommendations that included the introduction of a content levy, which will be reinvested in original Irish content. When one considers the massive revenue earned by Facebook and other social media giants, the contribution made to our own would be minimal but it would mean a hell of a lot. We have to see action on this matter.

This Bill was supposed to be with us before the summer and with the future of media commission as well by the summer. We are not going to have the Bill in the House before Christmas. These guys move at a pace that leaves the legislative framework behind. There is no legislative framework at the moment. We have attempted to put that in place and the Bill must come before us. The chairman of the committee, Deputy Niamh Smyth, and the members of the committee, including Senator Malcolm Byrne, have done a significant amount of work in bringing a huge swathe of media and other organisations before our committee. We need to see the Bill introduced. I implore the Leader to ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Martin, about the legislation because when one considers the amount of money that is earned by these giants, which are not subject to the same stringent rules as observed by traditional media in this country, we need to see action in this sphere.

Senator Martin Conway

The vaccination programme has been a success; of that there is no doubt. Almost 95% of our population is now fully vaccinated. Great credit is due to all the staff who have worked in the various vaccination centres, to the HSE and to the public, who bought into the factual situation that vaccines save lives and reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19. However, I was disappointed to read a report in today's edition of the Irish Examiner that staff have been let go from the vaccination centres in recent months. Those centres are now struggling to get staff to come back to work. Everyone knew there was going to be a booster programme. The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, as long as ago as last summer, stated that there would be a booster programme. We are now struggling to meet the demand for booster vaccines because we cannot get the staff. The Minister needs to come into the House and address that issue. He must direct the HSE to keep the staff in the vaccination centres until the pandemic is over.

Getting booster vaccines into people's arms is now a national crisis. In my home town, there are two pharmacies that do not open on Sundays. We should be doing everything. We should be paying pharmacists to give the booster vaccines, particularly in rural areas where pharmacies close on Sundays. That should be done. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, should be taken up on his offer of the use of the Defence Forces to give booster vaccines. The quicker we get our population vaccinated with booster shots, the better, and the more lives we will save. I do not think enough is being done to facilitate the booster vaccine. We saw the queues at Citywest, where people were queuing for five hours. That was replicated in other centres around the country. There is no need for it. We need to get in people who are skilled and able to give vaccines. It is simple. We urgently need to put all of the nation's resources into dealing with this problem.

Senator Malcolm Byrne

I join with colleagues in the call for a TRIPS waiver. I have raised this issue in the House on a number of occasions. Senator Moynihan and others have rightly made the point that until everybody on this planet is safe, nobody is safe. Senator Conway was correct when he said it is great that we have a vaccination rate of 95% and the average within the European Union is now approximately 70%. However, only 7% of those in low-income countries have received one dose of a vaccine. Ireland and the European Union are facing a test of global solidarity and it is important that we take strong action.

I raise the issue of accessibility to our beaches. I know the Leader is very familiar with the beaches of County Wexford. Beaches should be accessible to as many people as possible but, unfortunately, that is not the case for many wheelchair users. There have been some strides to ensure our beaches are accessible and measures have been introduced to allow that. A young man in County Wexford, Mr. Matthew McGrath, is a teenager who is a wheelchair user. He has launched a campaign to ensure a lot more of our beaches are accessible, focusing on north Wexford. We need a national approach to how we make our national amenities around the country accessible to everybody. I am certainly strongly supporting Mr. McGrath's campaign. There is a need for a whole-of-government to look at our beaches, wonderful assets that they are, and how we can use them.

Senator Jerry Buttimer

I ask the Leader to facilitate a debate on our foreign affairs policy as a matter of urgency. In particular, I want a debate about the foreign affairs policy of the European Union regarding the secret prisons in Libya that are keeping migrants out of the European Union. A number of interesting articles have been published by journalists with the Outlaw Ocean Project at The New Yorker and on NBC about the European Union funding Libya in the context of the Libyan coast guard preventing migrants coming to the European Union. I will quote an article written for The New Yorker by Mr. Ian Urbina and published yesterday.

The headline is "The Secretive Prisons That Keep Migrants Out of Europe". It continues, and I am quoting directly, "Tired of migrants arriving from Africa, the [European Union] has created a shadow immigration system that captures them before they reach its shores, and sends them to brutal Libyan detention centres run by militias." By any stretch of imagination, if that is even partly true it is absolutely awful. If we learn nothing from the events of the English Channel, where 27 people were killed last week, then as members of the European Union, as Members of this House, we have a duty to climate migrants in particular, as well as to people who are fleeing their own countries to come to the European Union to be able to have a voice in our Parliament but also at European Commission and European Parliament level. It is important that we stand up and be counted. It is equally imperative that we hold those at European Union level, whether it is the Council of Ministers, the Commission or the Parliament, accountable for the actions. I am asking respectfully that we would have a debate on this particular issue because it is worrying. I commend the journalist of the Outlaw Ocean Project, some of whom have been held in captivity and thankfully in some cases released. People have died in connection with this issue. I urge Members to read this series of articles. I will come back to this. One of the journalists working for this organisation is a past pupil of mine. I highly value his integrity and principles. As Members, we have an obligation to stand up and hold those at European Council level and Commission level accountable.

Senator Fintan Warfield

I want to add my voice to support a TRIPS waiver. As I have spoken on the record in this regard on the Order of Business in the convention centre in the past, I will not use my time on it today. I have not spoken on Order of Business since the Taoiseach was with us. I thought the elephant in the room was the fact that the Taoiseach did not give a response on the issue of Seanad reform. I intend to write to him but I ask that the Leader would also write to him on behalf of the House asking for a response to the Senators who raised Seanad reform on the record that day. There have been 13 separate reports on Seanad reform. I was part of the Seanad reform implementation group of the then Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in the previous Seanad. We worked hard to produce a report and a Bill, which is on the table in this House. I ask the Leader whether she will support that Bill.

I was not here last week when the issue of secretarial assistants' pay was raised. I wish to put my support for that on record. I have spoken on the issue in the past. The starting pay, as we all know, is €11.75 per hour but the living wage is €12.90 per hour. It takes 18 years to climb the scale. We know secretarial assistants do much the same job as parliamentary assistants, who are on a starting salary of €41,000. Senator Kyne dealt with this on the Order of Business last week. I would welcome the Leader's response to it. We have a collective responsibility to deliver for secretarial assistants. In regard to a family-friendly parliament, recommendation 12 of the Ceann Comhairle's forum was that it "recommends a review of the pay scales and role profiles for Secretarial Assistants to increase the starting salary, in light of the comparisons to be drawn with the salaries and role profile of Parliamentary Assistants". One focus of that was the fact that many secretarial assistants, SAs, go on to serve as public representatives as well.

Senator Regina Doherty

I thank Senator Warfield for raising those three issues. I am happy to send a letter to the Taoiseach. I thought he did actually respond that evening but maybe that was wishful thinking on my part. I will send a letter and will send a copy of it to Senator Warfield. It was probably on Wednesday last week that the pay and conditions of SAs was discussed-----

Senator Fintan Warfield

It was Thursday.

Senator Regina Doherty

I was not here for the Order of Business. What I think is bizarre, given the restrictions that Senators must operate under, is I am not sure why we have a secretarial assistant.

We all know that the secretarial assistants to our Dáil colleagues do all of the constituency work. Most of us do not have constituencies. It is the job of Senators to scrutinise and be that second pair of eyes to enhance and embellish legislation that is brought forward, whether Private Members' Bills or Government Bills. Senator Warfield is correct that what our secretarial assistants do is 100% parliamentary business work. Therefore, in trying to get the salary scales for them increased, which is probably very true for our Dáil colleagues too, we are fighting the wrong argument. We should be seeking to have secretarial assistants to Senators redefined as personal assistants. We need to work together and collectively with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the commission to make sure that campaign does not die, or that is not dampened down in the way it has been sought to be dampened down in the past couple of months.

I support the call by Senators Gavan, Malcolm Byrne and Rebecca Moynihan for a TRIPS waiver. Senator Gavan made the very good suggestion that he should draft a motion with regard to TRIPS waivers to be put before this House for debate to see if we can collectively arrive at a position that would call not just on the Government but on the European Commission to change their positions. As stated very clearly by Dr. Michael Ryan, and by Dr. Navarro on weekend radio, unless the world is safe, nobody is safe. The hysteria, which has been media driven in terms of the overdrive in the media on Thursday and Friday with regard to the variant, shows that we need to act now to have citizens worldwide inoculated. Otherwise, we will still be talking about the next level of variants this time next year.

Senator Buttimer asked for a debate on foreign policy, particularly with regard to the EU and the treatment of migrants. I will arrange that debate as quickly as I can because I think some of the indications, particularly on the issues between Belarus and Poland and France and the United Kingdom, and the evidence uncovered in the past couple of weeks leave an awful lot to be desired with regard to the humanity and the way we would treat people, particularly other Europeans.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about the accessibility to beaches and not just in County Wexford, which I love. He spoke about a young man named Matthew McGrath. The Senator is dead right; the campaign should be a national one. I am happy to write to the Minister to ask if he will support Matthew McGrath and to see if we can get that campaign going up and down the country.

Senator Conway spoke about the vaccination programme and the success we have enjoyed to date. He is correct to highlight the issue of staff being let go, the most prominent person being Professor Brian MacCraith, when we all knew and were expecting a bonus, booster or third vaccine. The fact that we are now looking for new swabbers and people to administer the vaccinations seems a little bizarre. I thank the Senator for raising the issue this morning. I will bring his suggestion with regard to rural pharmacies to the attention of the Minister for Health.

Senator Martin Conway

I thank the Leader.

Senator Regina Doherty

Senator Cassells raised the online safety and media regulation Bill and the huge body of work that has been done by the cross-party committee. I do not yet have an indication as to when that Bill will come before us. I will raise it with the Minister and the Department today and come back to the Senator on it.

Senator Moynihan raised the TRIPS waiver and the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021. I read with interest the reports in this morning's papers. I do not have an answer to the questions and queries she raised, but I will raise them and come back to her.

Senator Gavan, as I mentioned, raised the TRIPS waiver. Senator Boyhan spoke about the welcome news from Barbados. The Galway County Council funding crisis came to the attention of all of us yesterday. I have submitted a request for a debate on local government funding. I am waiting for the Minister to come back to me with a date. As soon as I have that, a debate will be scheduled.

Senators Maria Byrne and O'Loughlin spoke about this week being disability week. I am attempting to have a debate arranged with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, even though she was with us last week. I will do my best to try to have that debate this week. If it cannot happen this week, I will arrange for it to happen as quickly as I can. It is incumbent on all of us to highlight, not only this week but particularly this week, the things that we take for granted that people who have disabilities have to deal with every week. Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the company, ParkMagic. It is an ingenious idea. We talk here frequently about the difficulties faced by people who have disabilities with regard to public transport. I do not think we have ever talked about public parking. In one incident involving a lady in Skerries, where the parking is on-street and there is often no parking space available to her, the council has refused to give her a designated parking space. She cannot walk any more than 5 m from her car to her house. She comes every day and the car parking spaces outside her home are taken. As able-bodied people, we take an awful lot for granted. We do not really understand or appreciate what people who have disabilities have to go through.

We need to see through their eyes and initiatives should be supported. I commend the Senator on raising ParkMagic's initiative and app. I will send a letter to the Minister for Transport.

Order of Business agreed to.